The Lyons

     Every so often a play with come out that doesn't really have a deeper meaning than what is on the surface. Nicky Silvers The Lyons is one such play. That's not to say that the play is frivolous or by any means without purpose. The Lyons is about a family grappling with the impending death of its patriarch. When Ben Lyons' wife, Rita, and their grown children gather to say goodbye, they learn that despite being a family, each of them is utterly isolated. Afraid of closeness and afraid of solitude, they are propelled into foreign territory - human connection.

     Linda Lavin is the anchor of the production. With her grounded portrayal of matriarch Rita Lyons, we are given a subtle nuance of a performance that brings backs floods of memories of women we may know. In particular I was reminded of my grandmother.

    What we see before us is a group of people who have gone through life with bumpers on, bouncing off one another like cars at a carnival, and as a result have no idea how to relate to one another, or to other human beings. This is particularly true of the Lyons children played by Kate Jennings Grant and Michael Esper. There is particularly heart breaking scene where we witness the young Lyons boy attempting to make one such connection, and we see the effects of growing up without the perception of love, affection, and communication.

    The Lyons is not a great play, but it is a good play. It leaves you with things to discuss at dinner afterward, but doesn't stay with you for days like some plays do. Though you will find yourself telling others about Linda Lavins performance (which did garner her a Tony nomination).

    Due to it's small cast, and minimal set requirements I would expect to see The Lyons done quite frequently in regional productions. If it comes to a town near you it's worth seeing. The Broadway production closed on July 1st 2012 after 80 performances at The Cort Theater.

The cast also included Dick Latessa, Gregory Wooddell, and Brenda Pressley. Direction by the wonderful Mark Brokaw, set design by Allen Moyer, costumes by Michael Krass, and Lighting by David Lander.